Poinsettia Postage Stamps | Contemporary Christmas Series | Nochebuena | Christmas Plants | Vintage Unused USPS Postage 22c

Add vibrant Christmas color and one of the holiday season’s most recognizable plants to your correspondence with these unused vintage Poinsettia Plants postage stamps from the USPS Contemporary Christmas series! Featuring a lush cluster of brilliant red poinsettias with rich green foliage, this festive 1985 design evokes Christmas flowers, Nochebuena, Mexican holiday traditions, seasonal decorating, classic red-and-green Christmas color, and the warmth of holiday gatherings. Perfect for Christmas cards, holiday greetings, winter correspondence, seasonal invitations, gift enclosures, Christmas thank you notes, and other festive mailings, these stamps bring a bold and unmistakably traditional Christmas touch to your envelopes.

In pristine mint condition and valid for current postage use, each stamp holds a face value of 22-cents. These authentic USPS postage stamps are suitable for current mailing when used with the total required postage based on the weight of your mailing.

STAMP INFORMATION:

• Stamp Name: Poinsettia Plants
• Stamp Series: Contemporary Christmas
• Year Issued: 1985
• Face Value: 22-cents (USD) per stamp
• Topic(s): Poinsettia Plants, Poinsettia, Christmas Poinsettia, Euphorbia pulcherrima, Nochebuena, Flor de Nochebuena, Christmas Flower, Holiday Flower, Red Flower, Red Plant, Christmas Plants, Holiday Plants, Mexico, Mexican Christmas, Mexican Holiday Traditions, Christmas Flora, Christmas Greenery, Holiday Greenery, Christmas Decorations, Holiday Decorations, Traditional Christmas, Christmas Symbols, Joel Roberts Poinsett, Contemporary Christmas, James Dean
• Color(s): Red, Green
• Mailing Occasions: Christmas Cards, Christmas Greetings, Holiday Cards, Holiday Greetings, Winter Holiday Mail, Mexican Christmas Correspondence, Nochebuena Greetings, Seasonal Correspondence, Christmas Party Invitations, Holiday Party Invitations, Gift Enclosures, Christmas Thank You Notes, Winter Correspondence
• Printing Method: Photogravure
• Scott Number: 2166
• Adhesion Type: Gummed (see adhesion instructions below)
• Stamp Size:
• Condition: Genuine Unused USPS Postage Stamps, Ready to Use for USPS Mailings, Mint Condition

STAMP DESCRIPTION & HISTORY: The 1985 Poinsettia Plants stamp was issued as the contemporary Christmas design for that year’s holiday mail season. Designed by James Dean, the stamp features a cluster of bright red poinsettias with deep green leaves, creating a bold red-and-green composition centered on one of the most familiar botanical symbols of Christmas. The 22-cent stamp was issued on October 30, 1985, in Nazareth, Michigan, and printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing using photogravure. It was produced in panes of 50 and was the second U.S. postage stamp to feature poinsettias, following the Poinsettia design from the 1964 Third Christmas Issue.

ABOUT POINSETTIAS: The poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is native to Mexico and Central America and is known for its vivid red bracts, which are modified leaves surrounding the plant’s much smaller central flowers. In its native climate, the poinsettia can grow as a large shrub or small tree, although it is most familiar in the United States as a potted holiday plant displayed in homes, churches, offices, stores, and seasonal arrangements during the Christmas season.

POINSETTIAS, MEXICO & NOCHEBUENA: Poinsettias have especially deep cultural connections to Mexico, where the plant is commonly known as Flor de Nochebuena, or Christmas Eve flower. Its winter blooming period and dramatic red-and-green coloration helped establish it as an important part of Mexican Christmas traditions long before it became commercially popular in the United States. The English-language name “poinsettia” honors Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. minister to Mexico, who introduced specimens of the plant to the United States during the 19th century.

POINSETTIAS & CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS: Poinsettias have become one of the most recognizable floral symbols of Christmas. Their brilliant red bracts and deep green leaves naturally complement traditional Christmas colors, and the plants are widely used in church displays, homes, table arrangements, wreaths, public decorations, and seasonal floral designs. Their strong connection to Nochebuena and Mexican Christmas traditions also gives poinsettia imagery special significance for holiday correspondence celebrating Mexican heritage, culture, and family traditions.

STAMP MEANING & SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE: The Poinsettia Plants design can symbolize celebration, generosity, renewal, hope, joy, love, and the warmth of the Christmas season. The star-like arrangement of poinsettia bracts has acquired associations with the Star of Bethlehem, while the plant’s vivid red color has been interpreted as a symbol of love and sacrifice. For Christmas and winter holiday correspondence, the design offers a vibrant expression of seasonal faith, generosity, family connection, and festive tradition.

STAMP SERIES HISTORY: The USPS Contemporary Christmas series developed as the Postal Service expanded its annual Christmas program to include secular holiday designs alongside traditional religious imagery. Beginning in 1970, contemporary Christmas stamps became a regular part of the annual holiday program, featuring subjects such as toys, Santa Claus, winter scenes, decorations, ornaments, plants, and other seasonal themes. The 1985 Poinsettia Plants issue continued that tradition with a botanical Christmas design by James Dean, pairing vivid holiday color with one of the season’s most enduring floral symbols.